The present invention relates to a case loading machine and method of operation for positioning at least two flexible bags, having an unstable product therein, in a case and in side-by-side contact with one another.
Various machines are known for casing unstable products that are contained in bags. However, most of these machines and processes simply drop predetermined number of packages in an open top end of a box and the box is sized to accept predetermined quantities of these products which are released in an orderly or disorderly fashion. Many known case loading machines also utilize vacuum suction cups to engage, displace and position products within a case. A typical example of machines for packaging flexible packages is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,143.
When handling flexible bags which contain an unstable product therein, such as milk pouches, the bag deforms itself by the weight of the liquid therein and the bottom part of the bag expands. This poses problems when a predetermined number of bags need to be positioned within a case in an orderly fashion whereby the bags are all visible from the open top end of the case while at the same time the bags occupy a substantial portion of the volume of the case. Heretofore, these products have been packaged in boxes or cases in a disorderly fashion stacked one on top of each other. Consequently, the bag at the bottom of the box bears the weight of all the other bags on top of it. This often causes the bottom bags to burst during manipulation of the case or when in transit in a vehicle, particularly when the vehicle is subjected to rough road conditions imparting movement and shocks to the cases. Not only does the bag at the bottom of the case burst, but the liquid products within the bags will often soil bags in adjacent cases depending on how these cases are transported and disposed in the vehicle. The result of this is very costly and time-consuming to rectify.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a case loading machine and method of operation which is capable of positioning at least two flexible bags, having an unstable product therein, in a case and in side-by-side contact with one another while occupying a substantial volume of the case and machine and method substantially overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
According to the above feature, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides a case loading machine for positioning at least two flexible bags, having an unstable product therein, in a case and in side-by-side contact with one another. The machine comprises case engaging and displacement means having at least one rigid division wall plate positionable inside the case from an open top end of the case to divide the case into two or more compartments of predetermined size. The case engaging and displacement means holds the case at a loading position with one of the compartments aligned at a bag receiving position. Bag engaging and transfer means is provided for engaging one of the bags, from a bag filling position, and transferring same in the said one compartments aligned at the bag receiving position. The bag engaging and transfer means has compression means to compress the flexible bag and displace the unstable product therein whereby the bag is sized to enter into the aligned one of the compartments. The case engaging and displacement means displaces the case to align the other of the two compartments, sequentially, at the loading position to each receive a further bag from the bag engaging and transfer means. Means is provided to feed another case to the case engaging and displacement means.
According to a still further broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of positioning two or more flexible bags, having an unstable product therein, in a case and in side-by-side contact with one another. The method comprises the steps of engaging a case at a case loading position from an open top end thereof and segmenting the case into compartments. The method also includes displacing the case to position the compartments, in sequence, at a bag receiving position. The filled bag with the unstable product therein is displaced to a bag transferring means. The bag with the unstable product is then compressed in the bag transferring means to size the bag to enter into the compartment positioned at the bag receiving position. The case is then displaced to load all of the compartments in sequence at the bag receiving position. The case, filled with a predetermined quantity of the bags is then released and another case is engaged.